Jewish Wedding Rabbi in Sacramento, Northern California & Destination Weddings
Personalized Jewish Weddings with Rabbi Matt Rosenberg
Mazal tov!
I’m Rabbi Matt Rosenberg, an independent rabbi based in Sacramento, California. I officiate personalized Jewish weddings throughout Sacramento and Northern California, including Napa Valley and Wine Country, Lake Tahoe, the Sierra, and Truckee, as well as destination weddings throughout the United States and selected international locations.
A Jewish wedding brings together traditions that are thousands of years old with a completely new story: yours.
My role is to help you create a ceremony that feels authentically Jewish while also reflecting your relationship, your families, your values and the life you are beginning together.
Some couples come to me knowing exactly what they want beneath the chuppah. Others simply know that they want a Jewish wedding and need help understanding the traditions and possibilities.
You do not need to have it all figured out.
We’ll create the ceremony together.
A Jewish Wedding That Reflects the Two of You
No two couples arrive at the chuppah with exactly the same story.
You may want a ceremony filled with Hebrew prayer and traditional Jewish ritual. You may want Jewish traditions explained in a way that makes them meaningful and accessible to guests from many backgrounds. You may want to honor parents or grandparents, remember loved ones who cannot be present, or include personal vows and readings alongside the traditional liturgy.
We’ll talk about your relationship, your families and your connection to Judaism, and I’ll help you understand the choices available to you.
Your Jewish wedding ceremony may include:
A ketubah signing
Bedecken or another gathering before the ceremony
The chuppah
Kiddush and wine
Exchange of rings
Traditional Hebrew wedding blessings
The Seven Blessings — Sheva Brachot
Personal vows
Hebrew and English readings
Participation by parents, grandparents, siblings or friends
Recognition of loved ones who cannot be present
Breaking the glass — followed by a joyous “Mazal tov!”
The goal isn't to include every possible Jewish wedding tradition.
The goal is for the traditions you choose to have meaning.
How I Work With Couples
Before I create your ceremony, I want to get to know you.
We'll talk about how you met, what you admire in one another, the families and communities that shaped you, your Jewish backgrounds and the kind of marriage you hope to build.
I'll also guide you through the practical Jewish elements of the wedding: your ketubah, witnesses, rings, blessings, chuppah and the flow of the ceremony.
By the time we stand together beneath the chuppah, I want your wedding ceremony to sound like it belongs to the two of you — not like something an officiant could deliver to any couple.
Warm, Inclusive and Rooted in Jewish Tradition
Couples come to me with a wide range of Jewish backgrounds and experiences.
Some are deeply involved in Jewish life. Others are unaffiliated or haven't been inside a synagogue for years. Sometimes one partner knows the traditions intimately while the other is encountering a ketubah or chuppah for the first time.
All of that is welcome.
I officiate LGBTQ+ weddings and work with couples to create ceremonies that are meaningful, respectful and grounded in Jewish tradition.
Jewish tradition gives us the framework. Together, we determine how that tradition can speak authentically to your relationship and your marriage.
What My Wedding Officiation Includes
My wedding services include:
Pre-wedding consultations to get to know you and your story
Guidance in designing your Jewish wedding ceremony
Help selecting meaningful Jewish traditions and rituals
Consultation about ketubah selection, wording and signing
Guidance concerning witnesses and other ritual roles
Assistance with Hebrew prayers, readings and ritual language
Creation of a personalized ceremony
Coordination with your wedding planner, venue and other wedding professionals as needed
Officiation of the ketubah signing and wedding ceremony
Travel, rehearsals, and participation in additional wedding-weekend events can also be arranged.
Where I Officiate Jewish Weddings
Sacramento & Northern California Jewish Weddings
Sacramento is home.
I officiate Jewish weddings throughout the greater Sacramento region, including Sacramento, Davis, West Sacramento, Elk Grove, Folsom, Roseville, Auburn, Rocklin and surrounding Northern California communities.
Whether your wedding takes place at a hotel, winery, garden, private home, synagogue or another venue, we'll create a Jewish ceremony appropriate to both your setting and the two of you.
Napa Valley & Wine Country Wedding Rabbi
Planning a Jewish wedding in California Wine Country?
I officiate weddings throughout Napa Valley and Sonoma, including Napa, Yountville, St. Helena, Calistoga, Sonoma, Glen Ellen, Healdsburg and surrounding Wine Country communities.
Wine Country is especially popular for destination weddings, and many couples plan their celebration from outside Northern California. Our ceremony planning can easily take place by video before your wedding weekend.
[Learn more about Napa Valley & Wine Country Jewish weddings →]
Lake Tahoe & Truckee Wedding Rabbi
I officiate Jewish weddings throughout Lake Tahoe, Truckee and the Sierra Nevada, including both the California and Nevada sides of the Tahoe Basin.
That includes South Lake Tahoe, Stateline, Incline Village, Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Truckee, Olympic Valley and surrounding mountain communities.
Lake Tahoe destination weddings bring their own considerations, including travel, weather and outdoor ceremony logistics, and we'll make sure the Jewish elements fit naturally into the larger wedding weekend.
[Learn more about Lake Tahoe Jewish weddings →]
Destination Wedding Rabbi
Your wedding does not have to be in Northern California.
I am available for destination Jewish weddings throughout the United States and selected international locations.
Couples choose destination weddings for all kinds of reasons: a favorite beach, a mountain resort, the place where they met, a location meaningful to their families, or simply somewhere they want to gather the people they love.
I work with couples planning Jewish destination weddings at resorts, vineyards, beaches, mountains and other venues throughout the United States and abroad.
Rather than finding an unfamiliar officiant once you arrive, you can work ahead of time with a rabbi who gets to know you and travels with you to the place you've chosen to marry.
[Learn more about working with a destination wedding rabbi →]
Frequently Asked Questions About Jewish Weddings
Do we need to belong to a synagogue?
No.
You do not need to belong to a congregation to contact me about officiating your wedding.
Do we need to know exactly what kind of Jewish ceremony we want?
Not at all.
Part of my role is teaching you about the traditions and helping you determine which ones are meaningful for you.
You can come to our first conversation knowing exactly what you want — or knowing almost nothing beyond the fact that you want a Jewish wedding.
Can our ceremony include both Hebrew and English?
Absolutely.
We'll create a balance of Hebrew, English, traditional Jewish liturgy and personalized material that feels right for you and your guests.
Can family members and friends participate?
Yes.
Parents, grandparents, siblings and friends can participate through readings, blessings, the Seven Blessings (Sheva Brachot), holding the chuppah and other meaningful roles.
Can you help us with our ketubah?
Yes.
I can help you think through ketubah wording, witnesses, signing and how the ketubah ceremony fits into your wedding day.
Do you officiate LGBTQ+ Jewish weddings?
Yes. LGBTQ+ couples are welcome beneath the chuppah.
Are you available as a destination wedding rabbi?
Yes.
I officiate destination Jewish weddings throughout the United States and selected international locations. We can conduct our planning meetings remotely before traveling to your wedding destination.
Will you travel to Napa Valley or Lake Tahoe for our wedding?
Yes.
I regularly officiate weddings throughout Northern California, including Napa Valley, Sonoma, Lake Tahoe and Truckee.
Can you attend our wedding rehearsal?
Usually, depending upon location and scheduling.
Not every ceremony requires the rabbi to attend the rehearsal, so we can determine together whether it would be useful for your wedding.
How far in advance should we contact you?
Earlier is better, particularly for popular spring and fall weekends and for destination weddings that require travel planning.
I am currently booking weddings for 2027 and beyond.
Let's Talk About Your Wedding
Whether you're planning a Jewish wedding in Sacramento, Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, elsewhere in Northern California or at a destination somewhere farther away, I'd love to hear about the two of you and what you're envisioning.
You don't need to arrive with a finished ceremony.
Creating it together is part of the process.
Now booking Jewish weddings and destination weddings for 2027 and beyond.
Call or text (916) 572-6014 or email rosenbergmatt@gmail.com to talk about your wedding date and plans.
Mazal tov — I look forward to meeting you.